Parallels
by no dang name is available
Summary: In an Alternate Universe, a series of random events cause Akashi and Kuroko to fall in love and become live-in lovers. In canon-verse, Akashi and Kuroko are in college, but their relationship was no better than it was before. What happens when canon-verse Akashi and AU!Akashi switch places? Will Akashi learn to love Kuroko? Will Kuroko learn to love Akashi? AkaKuro. Multi-Chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: Hello everyone~! If you actually read these little blurbs of mine before reading the story, I'd just like to thank you for paying attention to my ramblings. Haha.

Before we get to the story though, I'm really curious about what my fellow AkaKuro worshipers think about the pairing and how they started liking them.

I guess I'll answer first, I started liking AkaKuro when I first got obsessed with Akashi. Don't y'all hate me but at first I was a KagaKuro and AkaMido shipper. That changed when, in the midst of looking for Akashi-centric and/or AkaMido fics, I chanced upon an AkaKuro fic. I didn't want to click it at first, maybe because my brain subconsciously knew that I'd be so damn obsessed with this pairing that I'd lose my interest in all other pairings (and that did happen, I'm sorry 1827, I found a new obsession, I still love you my sweets, but AkaKuro demands attention). Needless to say I got hooked. And since then, I've abandoned (temporarily) my other fictions and started writing AkaKuro. And until I've gathered my muses and my bearings to start writing 1827 again, I will continue with this pairing. I will go down with this ship! Lol.

So please review and tell me about your (hopefully) undying love for AkaKuro and how it all began. Oh, and wish me luck, I'm about to take on my first MULTI-CHAPTER AkaKuro fic :D

* * *

Akashi felt a droplet of water land on his cheek and he knew that it would start raining. He let the rain fall and soak him and wash away his worries with their cool and gentle drops. He loved the rain. It was always so calming. So pure. So clean. It reminded him a lot of one Kuroko Tetsuya. The rain always listened to his thoughts. It always offered a gentle embrace. It was always exactly what he needed when things in life were too... messy.

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko called from the inside of their traditional Japanese home.

"Hm?" Akashi, who didn't realized he'd closed his eyes and lost his thoughts in the sound of the rain falling, turned his gaze toward the figure on the porch.

"Come inside, you're getting wet."

"Ah," Akashi said almost dumbly, and made his way albeit grudgingly toward the raised porch. His wooden sandals were muddy and his summer yukata was completely soaked.

"They said there's a storm coming," Kuroko noted when the red haired young man was close enough. Akashi nodded but didn't step under the cover of the patio. Kuroko raised a confused brow.

"Isn't the rain beautiful, Tetsuya?"

"It's wet." Kuroko bluntly responded.

"But it's so soothing, and calming. It feels great out here. You can feel autumn coming to replace summer."

"But it's wet. You're gonna get sick, Akashi-kun."

Akashi chuckled. "An old wive's tale. Come out here with me," the red head offered a very wet outstretched hand.

"Akashi-kun..." Kuroko hesitated.

"Don't be afraid, Tetsuya."

"... I'm not. I just don't want to get wet."

Akashi rolled his eyes at him with a smile, grabbed the unsuspecting hand, and pulled him against his own body.

"Ah! Akashi-kun!"

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It's so cold out here!" Kuroko furiously rubbed his forearms as he felt his own yukata grow heavy from the water it absorbed.

"If we get sick, it's going to be all your fault."

Akashi laughed, "Like I said. It's an old wive's tale."

Kuroko sighed, "Why did you pull me out here?"

"I wanted you to see."

"See what?"

"How beautiful it is."

"What?"

"Look up at the sky, the clouds are so grey and so dark, but it's so beautiful. They bring the promise of a shining sun and a never-ending rainbow of colors," Akashi looked up at the sky.

Kuroko followed the other's gaze and only saw dark looming clouds, then he shook his head and laughed quietly, "Who knew you could be so poetic?"

"I have my moments."

Kuroko turned his head to watch drops of water mat Akashi's hair to his face. When the red head slicked the wet strands back, he could only stare in awe at the gorgeous porcelain skin that the gesture revealed. Akashi was the epitome of perfection. Even when the rain soaked him he was still a fine specimen of a man. Kuroko swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

"I think Akashi-kun is more beautiful than the rain."

Akashi stared back at the now blushing Kuroko and pushed the hair away from his face with nimble fingers. Fingertips grazed cheekbones and trailed the edges of Kuroko's lips which parted ever so slightly at the touch.

"I beg to differ," Akashi leaned his face closer, close enough to have their breaths mingle, but not close enough to have their lips touch, "Tetsuya is the most beautiful of all."

"Akashi-kun..." Kuroko's eyes slipped shut as he anticipated the kiss. The red head brushed his lips softly against Kuroko's and parted them further with his tongue. He wasted no time in delving his wet organ into the other's mouth and coaxing the other's tongue to join in on the dance.

Two pink muscles met and flexed around each other as hands roamed randomly, grasping for anything it could touch and caress. Rain fell on them harder, beating on their bodies with heavy drops of water.

"Mmmngh," Kuroko's fingers were laced in with Akashi's hair as he moaned against pliant lips and pulled the young man closer to him, "Ah-kashi-kunmph."

"Nnn?" the red head made an inquisitive noise.

"Mph-let's," Kuroko realized he couldn't talk properly if the lips against him were constantly attacking his mouth, so he pulled away, "Let's go inside. _Please._"

Akashi kissed the other's nose with a gentle smile and said, "Okay."

* * *

They spent the rest of their night in the throes of passion and lust as their slick bodies slid and rubbed against each other. Softly moaning and panting each other's names out loud, they reached their climax together before they collapsed in exhaustion.

"That was amazing," Akashi murmured against the skin of Kuroko's neck which caused the smaller male to shiver.

"Mm," Kuroko hummed in agreement, too tired to speak. Slowly, the red head lifted himself off of the teal haired young man to clean them both off with a clean wet towel.

When he had finished, he threw the towel into the hamper placed near the door to the bathroom and grinned when it made it in the basket, "Still got it."

Kuroko rolled his eyes and pulled the red head close to him, "Hai, hai. Akashi-kun is so cool. Now let's go to sleep."

Akashi kissed the top of Kuroko's head and snuggled in closer after hastily throwing the blanket on top of them.

"But we're still wet from the rain," Akashi commented quietly.

Kuroko stifled a yawn when he responded with, "Tomorrow. We'll take a shower tomorrow."

"We? As in, you and me, together?" Akashi's brows raised suggestively. Kuroko playfully hit the other's chest and rolled his eyes yet again.

"Of course." And the two drifted far, far away.

* * *

In a different world, Akashi Seijuurou was in the middle of finishing up his assignments for the night. Once he was done, he placed his pencil gently on the desk and raised his arms to stretch. Giving the clock a quick glance, he sighed and stared up at his ceiling. _I finished with my homework too fast again_. This Akashi Seijuurou was a college freshman in Tokyo University, living in an apartment complex not too far from the campus. Coincidentally, Kuroko Tetsuya, a person he had not expected to have kept in contact with after high school, lived right next door and went to the same university. They even had some of the same general education classes.

_What were the odds of that? _Akashi wondered as his mind flashed a quick image of the teal haired young man behind his closed eyes.

_Maybe I should go take a walk. _He lifted the curtain behind his desk slightly to check if there had still been sunlight, but he saw that whatever trace of it that might have still been there was erased by dark and ominous clouds. _It looks like it's about to rain. _

His lips spread into a small smile. This Akashi loved the rain too. _Maybe a quick walk wouldn't hurt. At least before it starts pouring._

He stood up from his desk and grabbed a waterproof coat, his wallet, and his keys before briskly walking toward the entrance of his apartment and wearing his shoes. When he opened the door, the cold wind blasted in his face, and he closed his eyes and relished the feeling.

"Are you going out, Akashi-kun? It looks like it's going to start raining really hard pretty soon," a quiet voice that seemed only the slightest bit surprised, as the door opened suddenly, came from Akashi's right.

"Ah, only for a little while."

"I suggest you don't stay out too long. You might get sick in this weather."

"An old wive's tale, Tetsuya," Akashi gave him one of his usual slight smiles. Kuroko responded with a shrug and his usual blank faced expression.

"If you say so. Take care," with that, Kuroko bowed politely and went inside his own apartment. Akashi walked toward the elevator and pressed the arrow to go down. He didn't even give the teal haired male a second glance.

* * *

Kuroko entered his apartment and flipped on the lights and looked around the quaint room. He attempted to raid his own fridge, after he'd taken his shoes off. He'd gotten as far as opening the fridge door when he realized that he didn't have food in it at all. Sighing when his stomach rumbled in protest, he closed the fridge and hastily put his shoes back on. Turning the lights off on his way out, he gently closed the door and locked it before he headed toward the elevator.

Akashi had already left, it seemed, and Kuroko waited for the elevator to come all the way up from the ground floor. Once the bell dinged and signaled its arrival, Kuroko stepped inside and leaned against the wall. _Should I do some grocery shopping or should I just eat out?... Well if it's gonna rain later it'd be a pain to carry bags when it's pouring. Eat out it is then_._  
_

As soon as he'd made his decision, the doors opened and he stepped out into the simple lobby. The apartment complex was very plain, it sometimes made Kuroko wonder why Akashi chose to live in such a small complex when he could have afforded a much larger and more luxurious one.

But Kuroko didn't ask. He figured that Akashi had his own reasons, and he didn't want to pry as a sign of respect to his former teammate and friend? _Are we even friends? _Kuroko dismissed the thought and searched for a cheap place to eat.

_Right, food first._ He walked down the street, sticking as close as he can to the inside and covered edge so as not to get wet by the rain, which already started to fall by the time Kuroko went outside. There were still plenty of people around, hustling and bustling, trying to get their tasks done and at the same time trying to get away from the rain. Kuroko rather liked the busyness of large cities. It was fast paced and exciting. And he didn't have to use misdirection to be invisible.

People minded their own businesses and never stuck their nose into someone else's. In a sense, it offered Kuroko privacy he would never get in a smaller community.

The teal haired young man was just about to step into a nearby MajiBurger when he stopped in his tracks. What made him stop was a very odd sight. Akashi, it was obvious that it was him, the flaming red hair was a dead giveaway, was seated on a bench that hadn't been covered by any form of shelter from the rain, and staring up at the starless sky.

Kuroko was tempted to walk away and continue on his quest to satisfy his hunger, but something urged him to approach the seated figure who leaned back against the backrest of the bench and clutched a can of coffee in both of his hands, arms resting on his thighs.

"Is everything all right, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko said with a hint of concern in his usually monotone voice.

"Ah, Tetsuya? Everything is all right," the red head smiled. Kuroko knew it wasn't a genuine smile. It hadn't been a genuine smile for a long time. _Since middle school, I think._

"You should head back to the apartment, Akashi-kun. You might get sick if you stay out here like this."

"I appreciate the concern, but like I said, it's an old wive's tale."

"If you say so. But you're getting soaked. It can't be good for you," Kuroko shrugged.

"I suppose."

"... What is Akashi-kun doing out here sitting in the rain like this?"

"Have you ever noticed how especially calming the rain is?"

"Calming?" Kuroko asked, evidently confused. _Ah, I really can't keep up with this man. _Kuroko noted.

"Yes. It's so soothing. Comforting. Almost like a mother's embrace."

"It's cold. And wet."

Akashi laughed, "Well, I suppose my definition of a mother's embrace is slightly different from yours, or everyone else's for that matter. This feeling is what I remember last from my mother. It calms me when things are too hectic."

"... Why is Akashi-kun telling me this?"

"I don't particularly like Tokyo. The lights are too glaring. The people are all too busy. Everything is too fast-paced. One can barely even see stars in the night sky because of light pollution. Kyoto is so much slower."

"I... don't understand."

"Of course you don't," Akashi gave him a smile again. It was a different smile this time. But it still wasn't quite the same as it was before he changed. If anything, it was colder than his fake smiles, it was incredibly sad, "You wouldn't understand, Tetsuya."

Kuroko felt a pang in his chest at those words. A part of him wanted to say, 'Can't you make me understand?' But he knew better. _I want to understand, Akashi-kun_. But he couldn't say it out loud.

"Do as you like Akashi-kun. But be careful on your way home... On second thought, would Akashi-kun like to join me for dinner? I'm eating at MajiBurger."

"No thanks, Tetsuya," Akashi chuckled, "that food is junk. I keep telling you not to eat there."

"But it's cheap, and I'm poor."

"And I keep offering you money so you would eat properly."

"Akashi-kun's money is his money. I don't want to take his money."

"... If you say so," Akashi shook his head, "You might want to hurry before they close."

"Ah, Akashi-kun is right."

"When am I not?"

"I'll see Akashi-kun later then, excuse me," Kuroko bowed and hurried to the fast food restaurant to order their smallest burger and their largest vanilla milkshake. Akashi turned his attention back up at the sky and closed his eyes.

_Exactly like a mother's embrace._

* * *

When Akashi decided to go to sleep, he didn't even bother taking a shower. He stripped out of his wet clothes and hastily pulled on a pair of boxers and sweatpants before climbing into his bed and wrapping himself in a cocoon of blankets. Soon, darkness engulfed his consciousness and he was drifting off to a far away place.

.

.

.

He made a habit of waking up early, even when there were no classes that day. He woke up at exactly 5:30 AM, did morning stretches until 6:00 AM, and went on a run from 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM, by which time he would be back in his apartment and be preparing his breakfast. This was his morning routine. Always. And he was bent on keeping it that way.

But when he woke up today, not only did the throbbing in his head throw him off, when he looked at the clock beside his bed he noticed that it was already 6:02 AM. Eyes widening, he bolted up, _I'm late? _He asked himself incredulously.

It was then that he realized that the time and his massive migraine hadn't been the only thing that was different about that day. Akashi looked around him and saw that the room he was in was not the same room that he had slept in the night before. It was much wider and the walls were a dark mahogany wood, not at all like the painfully bare white plaster walls of the apartment.

_Where... am I? _The usually stoic and calm red head was on the verge of a panic because not only did he feel feverish, but he was also very, very confused. And Akashi rarely gets confused, if not never at all.

"Mngh," a voice that was not his own came from behind him. And only then did he realize that he was not alone in this room.

"Ah, Akashi-kun? What are you doing up so early?" the voice was so familiar, but it was hoarse, as if he'd been screaming all night, so Akashi couldn't recognize it. He was almost afraid to turn around, but when he did, the sight caused him to blush a deep and embarrassingly noticeable red.

A very much naked Kuroko propped himself on one elbow as he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. The blanket teasingly hung on his hips, revealing enough to let Akashi know that he was obviously not wearing anything, but not enough to expose his private parts.

"W-what?" Akashi actually stuttered.

"I said," Kuroko was now fully awake and staring inquisitively at the blush on the other's cheeks, "What are you doing up so early? You never wake up before I do."

"Ah," Akashi tried to look everywhere but Kuroko, "Uhm."

"Are you all right, Akashi-kun, your face is awfully red," Kuroko sat up fully and the blanket slid even lower.

"I'm... fine," Akashi gritted out as he tried to avoid looking directly at the naked male. _What in the world is this? Why is he naked, on my bed? Is this even my bed? Where am I?_

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko crawled toward the red head and raised his hand to touch the other's forehead, "You're hot."

"What? !" he had lost all composure, all of whatever there might have been in the first place.

"I told you not to stay out in the rain last night, now you're sick," Kuroko sighed and shook his head before getting up off the bed and grabbing the other's hand, "Come on, I'll give you a sponge bath."

"W-wait..." Akashi weakly protested. _What in the world is going on?_

"When I said that we'd shower together, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Kuroko rolled his eyes.

"S-s-shower together?" Kuroko had officially confused the shit out of Akashi.

Unable to take the throbbing pain in his head, not to mention the details of what he hoped to be a very very strange dream, he felt faint and blacked out. The last thing he heard was the thud of his own body hitting the wooden floor and a very concerned Kuroko yelling, "Akashi-kun? Akashi-kun!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I'm trying to pre-write the chapters and update weekly so that I don't slack off. :)

* * *

When Akashi came to, he was still on the floor with a pillow underneath his head and a wet rag on his forehead. He was dressed in very warm clothes and blankets were tucked around him. Groaning, he tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by a pair of hands.

"You're finally awake," Kuroko's voice sounded relieved, "You scared me, fainting like that. Are you all right? You've never been _this _sick before."

Akashi tried to open his eyes but all he could see were flashing white lights, it made his head hurt even more so he decided to just keep them closed for the time being.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you to the bed. I tried, but you're much heavier than I am and I can barely even lift myself up sometimes. I tried to make you as comfortable as possible though. Are you all right? Does your back hurt?"

"A-ano," Akashi lifted up a hand to stop the man from talking, _I've never heard him talk this fast in one go. _"T-tetsuya?" It felt awkward saying his name, for once.

"Yes? Do you want something? I can make you some porridge or—"

"Ah, wait just a bit. Before that, I need to explain something. Or rather, you need to explain something to me," Akashi could finally open his eyes without seeing stars and he slowly tried to sit up to properly look at the teal haired young man kneeling beside him, thankful that they were both fully clothed.

"What... is it?"

"... I'm not exactly sure where I am right now."

Kuroko blinked and stared at Akashi confusedly, "What are you talking about? You're home. At our house. In Kyoto. That you bought for us. Any of that sound familiar?"

"Yeah, about that, I don't know what you're talking about. Last night, I went to bed in _my _apartment, in _my _own room, in _Tokyo, _and I wake up here, with a throbbing head ache and... a naked Tetsuya," Akashi blushed at the last part.

"W-what are you saying? Are you sure your fever's not making you hallucinate or impairing your thinking?"

"I'm telling the truth. I don't know what in the world is going on here, but the Kuroko Tetsuya I know lives right next door in the apartment complex that we're renting rooms in, and we're both students at Tokyo University."

"I... what?"

"This may sound completely insane but, I think this is an alternate universe."

"A what?"

"Basically, I'm not from this dimension. I _am_ Akashi Seijuurou, but not the same Akashi Seijuurou that you know."

"I don't get it."

Akashi sighed and clutched the bridge of his nose, "I'm not the Akashi that you know. I'm... how do I explain this?... In my world, Kuroko and I are not... intimate. I am not _your _Akashi-kun," he felt absolutely ridiculous saying 'Akashi-kun' and not to mention admitting that his alternate self is the lover of this world's Kuroko.

"... Then, where is he?"

"Well, presumably, we switched places."

"And you say that you and the other me aren't dating?"

"Yes."

"... Heh. I wonder how he's gonna hold up... Well, do you know how to reverse it?"

"No. I'm not even completely sure that was what happened. I don't know _how_ it happened either. If this is an alternate or parallel universe, then technically, the two worlds would never collide. Inhabitants of separate worlds should never even really know that a parallel universe existed. What happened is, by definition, completely impossible."

"But it did. And now you're stuck here."

"That is one way to put it."

Kuroko sighed after a moment of silence passed between them, "You saw me naked earlier."

"Ah, for that I apologize. I promise I barely saw anything."

"No, no. _I_ should apologize. If you and the other me don't have the same relationship as me and my Akashi-kun, then I would have been intruding on your personal space. I am very sorry for being inconsiderate."

"N-no need to apologize. You were not aware of the situation. And frankly, neither was I until just recently. If anything, I should thank you for reducing my fever. Of course, you only did it because you thought I was someone else..."

"Ah, yeah. Don't worry about it. It was no trouble. But then again, I guess in this situation we _are_ strangers, Akashi-san," Kuroko held out a hand, "Pleased to meet you."

"'Akashi-san' is... even my Tetsuya says 'Akashi-kun.' Please just call me that, and the pleasure is mine," Akashi said as he took the outstretched hand.

Kuroko did not miss a beat, "'Your' Tetsuya, huh?"

Blushing beet red yet again, he cursed himself for showing too much emotion. There had been something about this Tetsuya that made Akashi feel _weird_... in places.

"You know what I meant," he all but snapped not in anger at the teal haired male, but at himself for being too quick to be bothered by this Tetsuya's words. _Perhaps it's due to the fact that he and this world's me are dating that I feel so... strange around him._

_Cute_. Kuroko thought with a smile. _I wish my Akashi-kun was like this._

Akashi shook his head to rid it of those thoughts. He didn't need them distracting him. He had to figure out a way out of whatever _this _was.

"Do you happen to know where the nearest library is?"

"Did Akashi-kun not live in Kyoto in the other world?"

"I did. I went to Rakuzan for high school."

"Ah, just like my Akashi-kun. Then surely you know the way around here."

"There's a possibility that this world's Kyoto is not the same as my world's," said Akashi.

"Hmm, true. Alright, then this will be a date. This does not count as cheating, correct? Surely my Akashi-kun would understand," at that point, Kuroko had just been teasing to see the red blush form again. But when it didn't, he pouted a bit and thought to himself, _I liked it better when he was flustered._

* * *

In a different world, the other Akashi woke up to a white ceiling and bare white walls. The first thought that entered his throbbing head was _What the hell? Where am I?_

Noting that he was completely naked and obviously in a stranger's house, he had the urge to cover himself up. He spotted and practically crawled to what he assumed to be a dresser and luckily found a pair of boxers which oddly looked exactly like a pair he had at his own home. _Well, whoever must have kidnapped me or put me in this room must have either stolen my clothes or be exactly my size... But if they kidnapped me, why would they leave me untied? What the hell is going on here? Ah fuck, my head hurts._

Checking the clock, he saw that it was already 11:00 am. That was when a doorbell rung, followed by a few knocks and an "Akashi-kun, are you there? Are you sick?"

"Tetsuya?" Akashi muttered in confusion. He made his way out of the room, careful not to trip as he was still groggy and sluggish. When he found the door, he opened it and the glare from the sunlight stung his eyes and worsened his head-splitting migraine. Clutching his forehead, he closed his eyes tight and hoped that the pain would subside.

"A-Akashi-kun? Why aren't you wearing clothes?" a startled voice came from right in front of him. Akashi finally opened his eyes again and saw a completely red and blushing Kuroko that had concern written all over his face.

"Tetsuyaaaa," Akashi drawled and leaned his forehead against the shoulder of the smaller male.

"W-what? Akashi-kun, are you all right?" Kuroko tried to push the other off of him, _What the hell? _the bluenette thought.

"I think I'm sick. Nurse me back to health."

"Ugh, Akashi-kun, you're heavy. And you're saying weird things."

"I'm... fi...ne..." that was when Akashi lost consciousness and fell forward, dead weight, against Kuroko's much lighter form. The bluenette struggled with the extra weight on him and attempted to keep them upright, but it was to no avail. He fell backwards on his butt with a soft "oomf," and Akashi lay sprawled on top of him, in all his half-naked glory.

Kuroko stared at the red locks close to his face. _What in the world just happened?_

* * *

How Kuroko managed to drag the body back into the apartment was a mystery. But that was all he could handle. He positioned Akashi on the floor to resemble a somewhat comfortable pose, then he touched the back of his hand to the other's forehead to check his temperature.

_Ah. He's burning up_. Kuroko sighed. _He really was sick then. There's no other explanation. He even missed the group study session today at the library._

_Gotta bring the fever down._ Looking frantically around him, he tried to figure out the layout of the apartment. It wasn't too different from his own. There was a small kitchen right by the entrance, but no dining room, only a small counter and two bar stools, and there were two doors next to each other on one end of the room. One of them, Kuroko assumed, must have been the bathroom and the other would be the bedroom. Spotting a cabinet near one of the doors, he was thankful when he opened it and saw a stack of folded face towels.

Grabbing one of them, he opened the door to what he guessed to be the bathroom—which it was—and ran the cloth under cold water from the tap. Rushing back to the sick man on the floor, he placed the cloth on his forehead before getting up to look for a pillow.

Kuroko opened the other door he hadn't opened yet and paused before he went in. I_f Akashi-kun finds out I went into his room without his permission, I wonder what he'd do... That's not important right now, pillow, pillow, pillow. Ah, there's one._

He took the pillow from the bed and walked back to where he placed Akashi. Crouching down to gently lift the other's head, he slid the pillow underneath before laying his head back down slowly. His hand subconsciously brushed away the lock of hair that was sticking to the side of his face. _He'd grown out his hair. I wonder if he's gonna cut it... I like it better this way though._

Akashi's face twitched slightly at the touch but relaxed again. Kuroko checked the towel and noted that, having absorbed Akashi's body heat, the towel was lukewarm. He took the towel and went back to the bathroom, ran it under cold water again, wrung it tightly before folding it, and placed it back on Akashi's forehead. _Hopefully his fever recedes._

About an hour more of this, Akashi's fever finally went down enough for the bluenette to feel more at ease. Kuroko sighed in relief. _He'd probably be hungry once he wakes up. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I made him soup._

Rummaging through the fridge, after saying a quick, "Please excuse my intrusion," he found enough ingredients for chicken soup. Quickly stewing up a pot before Akashi woke up, Kuroko wiped the sweat off of his brow once he had finished.

When the red head finally woke up, he sat up and groaned while clutching his head. He was still weak but he was feeling much better. _At least I don't see white spots whenever I blink anymore._

"Tetsuya?" He called.

"Yes? I'm over here in the kitchen, Akashi-kun."

_Right, I'm in this weird place_. Akashi thought when he opened his eyes and looked around him.

"Tetsuya, what's going on?" Akashi asked once he had dragged his heavy body to the kitchen. Spotting the teal head with his back turned, facing the stove, he sneaked behind him as best as his sick body would allow him, and wrapped his arms around the other's waist.

"A-Akashi-kun!" Kuroko blushed and yelped in shock. "What are you doing?"

"I can see that you made me soup," Akashi ignored the question and acknowledged the steaming pot.

Kuroko was frozen in his spot, too surprised and embarrassed to move. "A-Akashi-kun is acting strange."

"Well, this place is strange. I mean, what is this place?" Akashi questioned.

"... Is Akashi-kun all right? Your fever must have been so bad that it muddled your brain," Kuroko now associated the odd behavior to the dangerously high fever that Akashi had earlier. In fact, the body behind him was still very warm, _I hope he's all right._

"No. Well, it's true that my head hurts but this place is so strange. Doesn't Tetsuya think so too? We should be at our house in Kyoto."

"House? Kyoto? _We_?" Kuroko stressed the last part.

"Yes. Are you sure _you're _all right, Tetsuya? It seems as though you've forgotten about our home."

"_Our _home? What is Akashi-kun talking about? I live next door. You live here. This is the apartment building that we're renting from. And we're in Tokyo."

"Tokyo?" Akashi raised a brow, evidently confused.

"Yes. We attend Tokyo University together. You moved here from Kyoto after high school. Remember?"

"... What?"

"Your fever must have taken a huge toll on you. Here, sit down on the counter and I'll pour you a bowl of soup."

_This is all so strange. I wonder... _Akashi's thoughts trailed off as he let go of the shorter male.

"... Na, Tetsuya," Akashi said after sitting on the bar stool, "What do you think of me?"

Kuroko almost dropped the ladle, but he caught himself before it happened and poured the soup in the bowl. He rummaged through the drawers for a spoon and placed the piping hot bowl in front of the red head.

"What does Akashi-kun mean?"

"Do you... love me?"

Kuroko's face colored a very dark red as he stuttered indignantly, "I—what is Akashi-kun—why would you say so—I mean—that is—what?"

"I'm asking you if you love me."

"W-well, of course Akashi-kun is a person that is very dear to me. He is my... friend. We... are friends right?"

"Friends, huh?" Akashi blew on the soup before he spooned it into his mouth slowly. "It's delicious."

"A-ah, thanks."

"Hm... as I thought. This is rather strange," Akashi looked directly at Kuroko, his piercing stare making the bluenette uncomfortable.

"W-what is?"

"If you were _my _Tetsuya, you would have hit me or rolled your eyes at me for asking a question I already knew the answer to."

"I don't understand," Kuroko completely missed the emphasis on the 'my.'

"You are not my Kuroko Tetsuya. You are not my lover."

This time, Kuroko's ears didn't omit any of the words. He heard what the other said perfectly fine, but he couldn't comprehend it.

"Akashi-kun, maybe you should see a doctor. You're starting to scare me."

"No, listen to me. If my speculation is correct, this is not my world. Put in other words, I do not belong here. This is an alternate universe."

"... Is this your idea of a joke, Akashi-kun?"

"Tetsuya, do I seem like the type to joke?" Akashi deadpanned, "Ah, but, perhaps the Akashi Seijuurou in this world is the type to joke about these things? I wouldn't know. But rest assured, I am not lying to you. I am merely telling you what I have deduced."

"... It's true that Akashi-kun does not seem like the joking type. But I have no reason to believe that what you're saying isn't simply a manifestation of your fever-induced mania."

"What would it take for you to believe me? I know that you are definitely not _my _Kuroko Tetsuya, and I am positive that I am not the Akashi Seijuurou that you know."

"Prove it."

Akashi paused in the middle of eating the soup, "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. But I don't believe you. How is it even possible for alternate universes to exist?"

"I myself don't know," then, a thought occurred to Akashi as he stared at his right hand. The couple ring that he had bought and had especially engraved for him and _his _Kuroko gleamed under the kitchen lights. He took the ring off to inspect if the engraved words were still there and true enough, they were.

"Here," Akashi handed the ring to Kuroko,"Your proof. Read what it says."

Kuroko took the ring and inspected the inside edge. It read: Akashi x Kuroko. Blushing, he handed the ring back and shook his head.

"You could have just had this made..."

"Tetsuya, think about this carefully. Have you ever seen the Akashi Seijuurou that you know wear this? If the Akashi Seijuurou you knew secretly loved you, would he really go out of his way to have a ring engraved instead of just telling you about his feelings? If your Akashi Seijuurou and I are anything alike, he would be straightforward with his true intentions instead of beating around the bush."

"... I... just... I can't seem to understand. How did it happen? How did you come from that world? Why are you and my alternate self dating? What happened to the Akashi-kun of this world? There are so many questions."

"I honestly don't know either."

"... So does that mean you're stuck here?" Kuroko said after a while.

"I suppose. Unless I figure out a way to get back. Can you take me to a library so I can research more about this?"

"A library? Wouldn't a computer be faster?"

"There are some things that can be found in a library that can't be found on the internet."

Kuroko sighed, _I guess I still can't keep up with this guy even if it's his alternate form. _

"If you insist. Let's go tomorrow though. Alternate universe or not, you still had a high fever. Akashi-kun needs rest. Please go to sleep."

"... All right, but only if you sleep with me," Akashi smiled slyly at the blush dusting the other's cheeks and chuckled, "Don't be so flustered, Tetsuya, I was merely teasing. Of course, even if you are Kuroko Tetsuya, you aren't _my _Tetsuya. It would be wrong to do anything with you."

"A-ah, mou," Kuroko frowned in embarrassment, "If Akashi-kun keeps making comments like that and keeps on touching me then of course I'd be flustered!"

"I apologize for making fun of you. But all joking aside, I'd really like to thank you for taking care of me. You must be very good friends with the other me to have gone out of your way to take care of me like that."

"Ah... Yeah," _I'm not too sure about that._ Kuroko added as a mental note.

* * *

**Author's note 2: **I really don't know how to get them to switch baaaaaaaack TT_TT. And I was going to wait until tomorrow night, but I can't. Gah. :) I never update early, this is like... wtf?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: I'm really proud of myself. I never NOT procrastinate with my updates. LOL. And holy shit I got fic rec-ed! As you may or may not already know, I stalk the AkaKuro tag on tumblr, and I saw a post that asked for fic recs, and someone recommended this fic! *tears up* so happy! Oh! And "Help" was recommended by that same person too! Yay! :')

* * *

The Japanese style home was beautiful, Akashi noted. It was much like the home he grew up in as a young child and the home he had stayed in while we was still in high school. After more than half a day, almost bed-ridden and forced not to make any unnecessary movements by a certain teal haired male, Akashi had completely recovered from his fever the next morning. The entire time he was sick, he hadn't thought much of the fact that Kuroko was spoon feeding him and taking care of him so gently. Almost like his mother would have, had he a mother in the first place.

It felt strange, knowing that this Kuroko was his other self's lover. If things played out in Akashi's world as they had in this world, would he and his Kuroko be lovers too? Would they have fallen in love as well? Akashi shook his head as his train of thought gradually took a turn for the worst. _Must not dwell on these things. Tetsuya and I do not have that type of relationship, nor will we ever. _But he couldn't deny that some part of him was curious.

He watched the leaves fall and flutter to the ground from the window. He had already awoken at the usual 5:30 AM, and sat on the chair next to the window. He didn't know when this world's Kuroko had crawled in beside him the night before, but he was still fast asleep. Akashi's gaze shifted from out the window to the man sleeping on the bed. He admired the man's gentle facial features. So relaxed, so unaware, so peaceful. Akashi could only hope that his Kuroko's sleeping face was just as serene. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Akashi was quite worried about his world's Kuroko.

He wondered if the young man properly ate every day, or if he woke up in time for classes, or if he was taking care of his health. Kuroko Tetsuya will always be someone that Akashi worried about. The same went for all the other Generation of Miracles. It was a natural phenomenon. He was their captain after all, it was his job to ensure their well being, at least for the time period that they were under his authority. _I guess old habits die hard._

But this Kuroko Tetsuya, though he sounded the same, though he looked the same, though he spoke the same way, was different from his Kuroko Tetsuya. This one seemed more expressive, less withdrawn, brighter, and overall, happier. _Is that what love does to a person? _

If Akashi were to be completely honest, he would admit that he knew close to nothing about Kuroko Tetsuya. That man had always been a mystery. Something that Akashi's naturally curious and inquisitive mind had tried to find a solution to for so very long. But there seemed to be no answer to the enigma that was Kuroko Tetsuya. It would have been a lie to say that Akashi wasn't bothered by that.

Ever since he'd met the boy in middle school, his beliefs and principles that he'd made for himself were constantly challenged; to the point where he even questioned himself at times. _Like right now. What exactly am I doing? _There must have been a reason why his fate turned out this way.

There must have been a force at work behind all of these strange happenings. Otherwise, what would have been the point of switching places with a man who was obviously perfectly content in his world? Not that they'd done it purposefully, but the universe—_Multi-verse,_ Akashi corrected himself—must have some sort of goal to accomplish.

To accept it as a coincidence was, to Akashi's rational personality, simply not an option. Therefore if there truly was a reason for it happening—because Akashi can no longer say that it _didn't_ happen—then it follows that there was a way to reverse it. Or at least a way to get himself back to the world that he belonged to.

Akashi had been sitting and pondering for over an hour before the man on the bed showed the first signs of stirring into consciousness. The sheets rustled quietly at the slow movements of the body beneath it. The bluenette's eyes fluttered open and squinted when the sunlight invaded his vision.

Sleep was evidently weighing down his eyelids, but when he reached his arm over to where he thought Akashi's body still was and found that it had been empty, the man propped himself up on one elbow and looked around the room for the red head. When he spotted him on the chair next to the window, staring directly at himself, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good. I thought for a second... nevermind. How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"That's good. I'll make breakfast soon, but for the time being, would you care for some coffee?"

"... That'd be nice. Thanks."

Kuroko smiled at him and nodded, "Sure thing."

* * *

Back in the other world, the other Akashi woke up feeling refreshed and much better than he had felt the day before. He didn't know when he fell asleep, all he remembered was eating the bowl of soup and being forced back into the bed. But when he woke up, the apartment was quiet and seemed completely empty.

He sighed and thought, _Ah right, this is the other world. The world where Tetsuya and I aren't together._

Checking two doors to see which one was the bathroom, he found it after he'd mistakenly opened the closet door. After washing his face with a cold splash of water, his hand subconsciously reached for the toothbrush. He stopped himself midway through the act of putting toothpaste onto it and simply held the toothbrush in his hand.

_We may be the same person, but this is too... weird. I'll see if he has extra unused ones. _Sure enough, after a bit of rummaging, he found a box of new toothbrushes in the drawer under the sink and pulled one out. Then, squeezing an ample amount of toothpaste onto the brush, he cleaned his teeth until he was satisfied. That was when his stomach growled loudly and his hand automatically rested itself on his belly.

_Ah, hungry. I miss Tetsuya already_. He walked out of the bathroom and to the kitchen but he stopped when he realized that there was a lump of blankets on the floor with cotton candy blue tufts of hair poking out of one side. Akashi smiled fondly at the lump before quietly kneeling down beside it to take a good look at the man on the floor.

_They look exactly the same. If I didn't know that they were two different people, I would have done something to him already... Tetsuya... I'll find a way to come back to you. _Brushing away a strand of hair from the other's closed eyes and petting him gently, he stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare them something to eat.

When he looked through the fridge, he noted plenty of his favorite vegetables, fruits, and a vacuum sealed package of silky tofu with a post-it note on it that said "Make tofu soup for special occasions only. Remember, it is not good for one to spoil one's self." _We like the same food._

_But it seems we don't have the same priorities. _Akashi smirked as he took the sticky note off of the package and crumpled it in his fist before tossing it in the trash. _Tofu soup for breakfast it is_.

* * *

Kuroko awoke to the smell of something delicious. Carefully lifting himself up, he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and looked around him in confusion before remembering that he had fallen asleep on the floor in the red head's apartment. _I wonder what he's cooking_.

After cleaning up the mess he'd made with the blankets, he made his way to the kitchen and sat at the counter to watch the red head cook. He was immediately lost in his thoughts as he watched the young man chop spring onions with such precision that Kuroko wondered if he'd measured out each slice. _How is he this perfect?_

That was when Kuroko stopped himself before his thoughts turned into something bizarre and incomprehensible. What scared Kuroko was that he was rather curious as to where those thoughts would lead if he acted upon them, and he was not at all averse to admiring Akashi for more than just a previous captain and a friend.

"Staring is rude, you know."

"Ah... yes, I apologize."

Akashi turned his head away from the stove, ladle in one hand, to smile gently at the young man seated a few meters away from him.

"I was just teasing, Tetsuya. No need to be so serious. But I am curious. What were you thinking about while you stared at me?" Akashi smirked and turned back to watch his food slowly cook.

"I..." Kuroko's face colored as he looked down, knowing that though the other couldn't see him, the other knew his reaction already, "was just thinking that it was strange to see Akashi-kun so early in the morning. And not to mention cooking. And wearing sweats too."

"... Is it really so strange? I am human after all, I need to wake up like most others in the morning, I do need to cook so that I can eat, and I don't always wear formal clothing. Ah, but you must be talking about your Akashi, correct?"

Kuroko's ears perked at the word 'your,' and he coughed lightly to brush off the awkward wording, "Yes. The Akashi-kun of this world and I aren't very close. I only get to see him in classes and sometimes outside, but he's always so prim and neat and mundane things like cooking or wearing comfortable clothing seem so... out of character."

"Your Akashi must be a robot of some sort, then," Akashi chuckled, "That doesn't sound like me at all."

"You also laugh and smile much more genuinely than he does," Kuroko commented on another difference between the two.

"Hmm... so far, it seems that the only thing we have in common is our face and our love of tofu soup."

"... Well, no that's not the only thing. You, much like the Akashi-kun of this world, seem to be very meticulous about certain things. You were very accurate with your chopping earlier."

"Force of habit, I guess. I'm always very careful when it comes to food. But I don't cook very often. Tetsuya does that because he wakes up earlier than I do."

"... About the me of the other world. I... I meant to ask this before but you were on the verge of death.(At this Akashi laughed, and Kuroko's lips turned up slightly, pleased to have cracked a joke that the red head liked.) What's he like?"

"He's... amazing," Akashi was looking into the pot, but Kuroko could tell that his mind was somewhere else entirely. His eyes were glazed over and a fond smile danced on his lips, as if he were thinking about the greatest thought in the world. And to him, Kuroko noted, that thought must be of the Kuroko Tetsuya of his world.

It was strange but he felt a small pang of jealousy in his chest, _It__ must be nice to have someone so important to your life. _Kuroko decided not to ask anymore, the reaction spoke volumes. Put very bluntly, this Akashi was head over heels in love with the other Kuroko. And Kuroko could only hope that the feelings were mutual because for some reason, the thought of it not being reciprocated made the bluenette's chest hurt.

* * *

In a Japanese style kitchen worlds away, Akashi calmly sipped his coffee as he observed the teal head busy himself with breakfast preparations. The other was wearing a pink frilly apron, to which Akashi's reaction was a simple inquisitive tilt of the head, and Kuroko's response was a very curt 'Don't ask.' There were no further questions and Akashi opted to just watch as the low table in front of him slowly fill with small side dishes of traditional breakfast foods.

When the teal head was done, he sat on the floor across from Akashi on the other side of the table and served both of them a bowl of rice. The red head noted that the other's bowl had significantly less rice in it than his. _Even in this world, Tetsuya fails to eat proper portions_.

"You should really eat more rice."

"Ah, you're saying the exact same thing that my Akashi-kun always says."

"It's probably the reason why you're so frail."

"Probably, but this is really as much as I can handle in the morning."

Akashi shook his head, "That will not do, here, give me your bowl."

Reluctantly, Kuroko handed Akashi his bowl. The red head then divided up the rice evenly between his own bowl and Kuroko's bowl so that they would have the same portions. Then he gave the bowl back and said, "You will eat properly."

"... You two are so alike when it comes to food. Don't tell me your favorite dish is also tofu soup?"

"It's rich in protein and is very delicious," Akashi quickly said, almost bashfully, before he took a mouthful of rice.

Kuroko laughed at the antic, "Ah. Perhaps not so alike after all."

Akashi ate silently, as did Kuroko.

When he was finished, Akashi placed down his chopsticks and said, "Thanks for the meal."

Kuroko nodded, "No problem. I always cook for us anyway."

"... About that. Exactly how long have you and... the other me been dating?" Normally trivial matters like love wouldn't interest the red head at all. Love was such a troubling emotion to him. It almost always ends up with pain and hurt. But this case was unique. He had never pictured himself to be in love with a person. His mind cannot wrap around the process of falling in love; he cannot rationalize it, and _that_ feeling alone was bothersome. Add in the fact that one of the parties involved was himself—well, technically his other self—and it makes it even more difficult for him to comprehend.

"How long? Hmm... since the end of the Winter Cup in our first year of high school. Well... I don't really count middle school because we were too young, but I suppose if the question was when I found out that I liked him, it would be our first year in Teikou when I first met Akashi-kun."

"I see."

"Well, what about you, Akashi-kun?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said that you and the Kuroko Tetsuya of your world aren't dating. But that doesn't mean that you're not going out with someone else. Anyone particularly special?"

"... Love is for the weak."

Kuroko paused in the middle of drinking a glass of water before setting it down carefully on the table, "I see. That's too bad then. Love gives you such an amazing feeling."

"Love hurts in the end."

"It doesn't have to end."

"All things have an end."

"Love is an anomaly and an exception."

"I do not care for such useless emotions."

"... You sure are stubborn," Kuroko sighed after the rapid exchange.

"I can say the same to you," Akashi quipped back.

"All right, if Akashi-kun does not want to love, I cannot do anything to change his opinion. To each his own I guess, but I really have to say, you're missing out on a lot," Kuroko shrugged and resumed eating his breakfast, "Love is the greatest thing in the world. I daresay it's better than winning at everything."

Akashi chose not to respond.

* * *

When they finished cleaning up, they decided to get dressed so that they can go to the library. Akashi found it quite an unusual experience to get dressed in a stranger's house, even though that stranger was technically himself. He glanced at the clothes in the closet and thanked whatever divine power there was that the Akashi of this world didn't dress weirdly. Not that he particularly cared if he looked good or not, but he didn't want to be uncomfortable in strange clothes for the rest of the day.

Warily eyeing the red plaid boxers, he debated whether he should wear them or not. He definitely didn't want to _not_ wear underwear, but he didn't want to wear someone else's underwear either. It was all so odd.

Choosing to wear it anyway, mentally apologizing to his other self for indirectly—in a convoluted way—invading his privacy, he then looked at the shirts neatly folded and stacked in a drawer.

He picked a random one and slipped it over his head, pleasantly surprised to find that it fit perfectly, as if it was his own shirt. In the same manner, he found a pair of jeans and put it on with ease. Then he wore socks and finally, he grabbed a light sweater.

He finished dressing and stepped out of the room to see that Kuroko was seated in the living room and was waiting for him.

"Took you long enough."

"It was a very very strange experience. I don't think you would understand how weird it was for me in there."

"I suppose. But are you ready? The library isn't too far from here," Kuroko got up and straightened out his clothes.

"Yes, let's go."

* * *

In the other world, the other Akashi was facing a similar dilemma. He stared at the clothes in the closet, knowing that he was already wearing the guy's underwear and sweats, but nonetheless he felt... awkward.

_At least he doesn't dress horribly_. Akashi sighed and decided to get over the awkwardness. He needed to get dressed to go to the library, and he needed to go to the library to get a starting point so he can get back. Why specifically the library, he himself didn't really know. But something told him that a clue could be there. A clue that can only exist there.

He had been lying when he said to Kuroko the day before that there are certain things that can only be found in the library and not in the internet. Sure, that may be true, but he didn't know if that really was the reason why he felt so inclined to go there.

_Ah, being unsure and clueless feels so... out of character._ After he got dressed, he waited in the hallway for Kuroko to come out of his own room. When the teal head stepped out, they made their way to the elevator together, with Kuroko leading the way.

"Are you sure it's better to go to the library than just using the internet to research about this?"

"... Yes." _Not really, but I'm trusting my gut here._

"If Akashi-kun says so," Kuroko shrugged and pressed the down button.

* * *

**Author's Note 2: **I have a physics test in less than 7 hours. I still need to sleep. LOL. Please review, me wants to know what you think :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: I guess I spoke too soon with the procrastinating thing... I knew it wouldn't last. Sorry guys. I was suuuuuuper busy the past two weeks :( I was gonna post it on KuroAka day... but it didn't happen. My bad. I have to apply to colleges this weekend. Yay. -_-"

* * *

The walk to the library was uneventful. It was quiet, and the atmosphere around them was so awkward it was almost suffocating. But Kuroko paid no mind to it, after all, things were always awkward with the red head, what difference did it make if this one wasn't the same red head. Akashi on the other hand didn't like it.

"Say, you're really quiet."

"So are you," Kuroko shot back in his monotone voice.

"... I thought you were good friends with my other self, but do you have a grudge against him or something? Or is it because I'm not him that you're not talking to me."

"A grudge? Against Akashi-kun? No. Like I said, Akashi-kun and I aren't very close friends to begin with."

"Why not?"

"He's... not very social I guess. And for that matter, neither am I."

"Ugh. This is really bothering me," Akashi frowned.

"Why should it? It doesn't concern you, Akashi-kun."

"I suppose," Akashi sighed and dropped the topic. The rest of the walk proceeded in silence.

* * *

Once they got to the closest library, the one in the university, Akashi looked up in awe at the massive and modernized structure. It was so different from the less modern looking Kyoto library.

"Is this perhaps Akashi-kun's first time in Tokyo U?" Kuroko turned his head toward the red head.

"I've visited before, in my world that is. I've never seen their library though," Akashi admitted once they got past the doors of the library.

"... I forgot to ask earlier, but does Akashi-kun go to college in his world?"

"Ah, yes. My Tetsuya and I attend the same university in Kyoto."

Kuroko nodded and hummed in response, "I see."

"Ara, it's Sei-chan!" A black haired man waved when he happened to look up from his book the moment Akashi and Kuroko came close enough to the desk where he was at.

"... Reo?" Akashi asked, unsure if it was the same Mibuchi Reo.

"Ahaha, how are you? I haven't seen you in a while," the young man smiled.

Akashi returned the gesture and nodded, "I suppose I'm quite well. How are you?"

"Ah, Sei-chan is actually asking me about me. There's something different about you..." the taller male's brows scrunched up in confusion.

"Shall I explain things, Tetsuya?"

"It's Akashi-kun's situation, not mine. Akashi-kun gets to decide."

"Very well," Akashi nodded, "I was merely worried that having more people know of this would trouble you. But I guess if you put it that way..." Akashi turned to face the black haired man and politely bowed "Hello, nice to meet you."

Taken aback by the sudden introduction, Mibuchi tilted his head to the side and asked, "Is there something wrong, Sei-chan? You're acting really weird."

"My name is Akashi Seijuurou, however, I'm not the same Akashi Seijuurou that you know. I'm from a different world. My theory is that this is a parallel universe but of course, theories are merely conjectures. From what I've gathered, the Akashi Seijuurou of this world and I are very different, personality wise."

"..." it took a while for the information to sink in, "This isn't some sort of cruel joke, right? Sei-chan isn't the type to lie."

"I assure you, Akashi-kun is telling the truth."

"... Tet-chan is also not the type to joke. But if this is a prank that you two came up with together, I have no reservations about getting revenge in some way, even if it's Sei-chan and Tet-chan."

"I promise that I am telling the truth. In fact, I'm here to look for a way to get back to my world."

Mibuchi only stared at the two shorter males in response.

* * *

The Kyoto University library was very plain looking, Akashi noted. _Beautiful, but plain._ He'd been to the school often on visits because the campus was so pretty and peaceful. In comparison to the Tokyo University campus, it was much more... traditional, for lack of a better word. The Tokyo University campus was very European, and most of the structures were modernized. Akashi thought that they were great feats of engineering and architecture, but he found, after finally seeing the one place that he hadn't actually seen yet in the Kyoto U campus, he liked the earthy feel that was lacking in the Tokyo U campus.

They were walking on a small pathway with trees all around and benches over to the side. Akashi looked up at the leaves which were turning yellow and orange one by one. Some were fluttering to the ground, settling to cover every square inch with dried leaves and twigs.

"This place is... very nice," Akashi commented.

Kuroko looked up at the red head who was admiring the campus and smiled, "You think so too? I fell in love with this campus when my Akashi-kun took me here for the first time, because of little strips like this. It's beautiful in the spring, and it's nice and cool in the summer, and in the fall it's absolutely gorgeous, and in the winter it's so peaceful. It's perfect."

"I... actually like this campus better than Tokyo University. Ah, by 'this campus' I meant the one in my world. But I wanted to get out of Kyoto, though I quite like Kyoto very much. But because of certain circumstances, I had to—never mind, I've already said too much."

"Akashi-kun..." Kuroko said worriedly.

"It's fine, Tetsuya does not need to worry about it. All we need to worry about is figuring out a way to get me back."

Kuroko nodded. That was when a figure clad in a black wool coat came up from a distance and waved at them cheerfully once he got close enough.

"Arara, well if it isn't the infamous AkaKuro couple," a glasses wearing, kansai dialect speaking man smiled at them, eyes closed into slits.

"Imayoshi-san," Kuroko bowed politely. Akashi followed suit, wondering if this world's Imayoshi Shoichi was as cunning and slightly annoying as his own world's.

"How are ya? Hehehe," the older man chuckled, "Haven't seen ya both out here in a while. Too busy fucking each other?"

Akashi's face colored slightly at the implication, once again cursing himself for being too quick to be affected by the words. Kuroko seemed unfazed by the teasing, as if it were an ordinary thing.

"Please, Imayoshi-san, lay off the jokes today."

At which the black haired man laughed. Then he noticed the very obvious red on the red head's cheeks. "Are~, Akashi-_sama_ is blushing?"

The red head only glared, and much to his own displeasure, his cheeks reddened even more.

"Hmmm," Imayoshi hummed, "there's something different."

"It seems Imayoshi-san has stated the obvious," Kuroko joked.

"No, seriously. There's something really off about Akashi."

The red head hated to admit that he felt incredibly uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze.

"Perhaps that is because this Akashi-kun isn't from this world."

"... Ha? Like an alien?"

"What? No. Like from a different dimension. He's not the same Akashi-kun of this world."

"... Uhuh... and?"

"And, what?"

"Can he speak?"

"Of course I can speak, peasant," Akashi had had enough and could not remain quiet any longer. He swore that a vein was popping on his left temple as his eye twitched in irritation.

"Oho, same sharp tongue and superiority complex, I guess. So I'm guessing you're stuck here?"

"It would seem that way, yes."

"Imayoshi-san seems to take this whole thing quite well," Kuroko noted.

"I read a lot of sci-fi. Time loops, parallel worlds, multidimensional travel and what not. It's just so interesting. Anyways, I'm assuming you're trying to look for a way back?"

The smaller males both nodded.

"Well, from what I've read, usually there's something that needs to align in both worlds before any sort of change can occur. What that might be... I'm not exactly sure. Got any ideas?"

"Hm," Kuroko said thoughtfully, "He and the me of his world aren't dating. That's one thing..."

Imayoshi's lips split into a smirk, "Then why don't you try falling in love?" he said as he looked directly at Akashi, who only glared daggers at him. How the bespectacled man was still alive was a mystery. Luckily Akashi didn't have anything sharp in handy.

"No? Well, it's a suggestion. Have fun trying to figure it out. I'm sorry if I wasn't much help, but I gotta go. See ya later!" With that, the black haired older male left, waving at them as he walked away.

* * *

"You know," Mibuchi said as he stared at the piles and piles of science fiction novels on the desk, "if there's a cliche about this whole parallel worlds thing, it would be that there's something that's happened in the other world, or in this world, that needs to happen as well so that the two worlds would match up. Only then would the main character be able to go back."

"Mibuchi-san, I mean no disrespect, but that's the most asinine theory," Kuroko said with his usual poker face.

"Just a suggestion," the older man shrugged, "You've both got no other leads on this. And you _are _desperate enough to be looking through science fiction novels."

"Hm, he might have a point though, Tetsuya," Akashi said after considering it.

"What? Even Akashi-kun is thinking that too? But this is real life, it's not a science fiction novel."

"True, but we can't deny that what happened happened. And frankly, switching worlds in the first place is very science fiction-like."

"Is there anything that comes into mind that's strikingly different about this world and your world, Sei-chan?"

"... Perhaps."

"Then why not try to make what happened there happen here too?"

"That's... difficult."

"Because?"

"It would involve making a certain someone fall in love with me," Akashi jerked his head in Kuroko's direction and Mibuchi, slightly puzzled for a while, nodded in understanding before he smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure you can do it, Sei-chan," Mibuchi said.

Kuroko, also understanding what the implications meant, blushed and frowned at the two who were obviously teasing him.

* * *

"You know," Kuroko said from behind a neat pile of books that completely hid the red head from his sight. They had already spent an hour trying to look for books that might have any indication of time travel or traveling through multiple dimensions, "If you're planning to read all of this, even if you are Akashi Seijuurou, you probably wouldn't get your answer."

"... I have no other ideas," Akashi grudgingly admitted.

"We could just—"

"Enough about the 'love' talk, Tetsuya. We've already established our respective opinions. Let's just leave it at that."

Kuroko sighed, "So stubborn," he muttered under his breath.

"But sitting here and reading wouldn't get you back to your world any faster. You have to try _something._"

"And so you're suggesting I should try the most cliched, idiotic, idea ever."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt."

"You are well aware of what you're asking of me, right? I may not know about love and relationship matters, but common morality says that asking another man to fall in love with you—a person who already has a lover—is wrong." Akashi looked at him straight in the eye.

Kuroko shrugged, "Technically you're the same person."

"And technically we aren't. Drop the thought, Tetsuya. I don't want to make this more complicated than it actually is. Assuming that I fall in love in the first place."

"... If you say it like that I might take it as a challenge, Akashi-kun," Kuroko teased.

"It won't work either way."

Kuroko sighed, "Now you're just making me fired up. I might just _try _to _make _you fall in love with me."

"You can't _make _me do anything, Tetsuya. No one can."

"Oh, but I have. Plenty of times. The other you, that is," Kuroko winked and grinned at the glaring red head who was evidently unimpressed.

"That just proves even further that we're not the same person. _I _am not an idiot," Akashi shifted his attention back to the books in front of him.

Kuroko just smiled to himself, _W__e'll see about that. I made him fall in love once, I can do it a second time._

* * *

In Tokyo University's library, Akashi wearily eyed the mountain of books on the desk, not even wanting to think about the nightmare of putting the books back. They found nothing that could possibly help. Mibuchi gave up earliest. And soon after, so did Kuroko and Akashi.

"What if we just try it, Tetsuya?"

"Try _what _exactly?"

"Reo's suggestion."

"It's a genius plan, isn't it?" Mibuchi winked at the teal head.

"No," Kuroko flatly answered.

"We won't lose anything from it."

"I refuse to fall in love with someone who's already dating, and not to mention in love with, someone else. It's a one-way ticket to an inevitable heart break," Kuroko said in all seriousness.

"But you're technically the same person, aren't you?" Mibuchi asked.

"Even so," Kuroko frowned and looked away.

Perceptive as he was, Akashi didn't notice the change in the tone of the bluenette's voice. Mibuchi on the other hand, more sensitive to feelings and such than the red head was, took note of the change and thought to himself, _Perhaps I didn't even need to suggest falling in love_.

"It might work," Akashi said, "Come on, please help me out, Tetsuya."

"... That's really unfair of you to ask. You're expecting me to fall in love with you, and then, assuming that it works, you'll leave me to go back to the one that you actually love. What's gonna happen to me then?" Kuroko's argument was valid, Akashi had to admit. But at that point he was desperate.

"You can just fall in love with the other me and make him fall in love with you. Problem solved."

"That argument is flawed," Kuroko deadpanned, "The 'other' you is emotionally retarded. He probably thinks love is a weakness."

"But _you _don't think that," Akashi smiled.

"... Even if I don't, what has that got to do with anything?" Kuroko raised a brow.

"Love is a mystery. You can always give him a change of heart once we switch back."

"Are you saying this from experience?"

"Perhaps. But that's beside the point. Point being you have to fall in love with me. Or rather, I'm _making _you fall in love with me."

"... Akashi-kun is very presumptuous."

"I always win, Tetsuya."

"Ah, it's the same," Mibuchi, who had been watching the exchange with an amused expression on his face, finally spoke again.

"What is?" Akashi asked.

"What you and the Akashi-kun of this world always says," Kuroko answered for the older male.

"Yup~!"

"In that case, we might be just a bit more alike than what I originally thought," Akashi said. _Just wait Tetsuya, I'll come back to you. I'd do anything to see you again. Even if I have to break this Kuroko Tetsuya's heart. Besides, the other me can just fix it for me._

* * *

**Author's note 2: **I'm really sorry for the lateness and the shortness of this chapter.


End file.
